5 Harmful Things You use Daily

1. Air Fresheners and Scented Candles

AIR FRESHENERS

Air fresheners, candles, and perfumes are in almost all American households.

After all, who wants to have their house smelling like a school cafeteria?

So, you light up a scented candle, or you spray a “fresh laundry scent” air freshener.

But what are you really spraying in the air? Worse yet, what are you inhaling into your body?

As Wikipedia explains, “many air fresheners employ carcinogens, volatile organic compounds and known toxins such as phthalate esters in their formulas.”

Additionally, a University of Washington study of top-selling air fresheners and laundry products, found that all products tested gave off chemicals regulated as toxic or hazardous under federal laws, including carcinogens with no safe exposure level.

However, none of these chemicals were listed on any of the product labels or Material Safety Data Sheets.

The chemicals found in these air fresheners included acetone (paint thinner and nail polish remover ingredient), chloromethane (a neuro and respiratory toxin) and acetaldehyde and 1,4-dioxane (two known carcinogens).

In addition, a plug-in air freshener contained more than 20 different volatile organic compounds, with more than one-third classified as toxic or hazardous under federal laws.

Again, another reason to be extremely selective with the products we decide to purchase and expose our entire family to.

CANDLES

Candles don’t fall far behind the toxic spectrum.

In fact, what many might consider as a “harmless candle”, could be filling the air in your home with carcinogenic soot and lead emissions.

Most scented candles are made of paraffin which is a waste product from the petroleum industry.

“Researchers have shown some scented candles produce smoke laced with almost as many toxins as those produced by cigarettes. Research by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has shown that cored candles release the dirtiest soot – sometimes containing particles of zinc, tin, lead and the metal cadmium.” (source)

It is also extremely important to reduce candle emission exposure around our children.

Studies have shown that a child’s central nervous system is particularly sensitive to lead. Some of the most damaging neuropsychological effects of lead poisoning of young children include learning disabilities, reduced psychometric intelligence and behavioral disorders. These effects have been associated with chronic low-level exposure to lead and are believed to be irreversible. (source)

Below are safer and healthier alternative to regular candles.

SAFER AND HEALTHIER ALTERNATIVES

So, are we forced to leave our house smelling like a high school’s boys locker-room?

Not quite!

The best solution is to use good old baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) in closed spaces (fridge, closets, even shoes) and diffuse organic essential oils.

Please note: NOT ALL essential oils are good for you either. Even those which claim to be “natural” and “healing”. Make sure you use organic essential oils, as many scented oils are made from petroleum and other chemicals. Always look of the “USDA” organic seal.

If you don’t have an essential oils diffuser, this Amazon’s Choice product is super inexpensive and has over 31,000 happy customer reviews on Amazon.

As far as candles, the safest option are ones made of pure 100% beeswax. Not only are they the safest option but they help purify the air by emitting negative ions into the air.

GLASS

Another safe cookware material option is glass.

Glass cookware is perfect for baking. This particular glass set is clear, nonporous Pyrex glass which won’t leach odors or metallic tastes into food. It is also safe for oven, microwave, freezer, and dishwasher…and I love that you can see the food as it cooks.

CERAMIC

The reason is because although the ceramic itself is considered “safe” the material underneath (usually hard anodized aluminum) isn’t. Recent studies on potential health effects of exposure to aluminum include neurotoxicity and Alzheimer.

CERAMIC COATING

There are some “safer” nonstick brands in the market that claim to have come up with healthier ways to make cookware non stick. These brands include GreenLife and Green Pan cookware (which use Thermolon), and Ozeri Green Earth Pan (which use Greblon). Neither Termolon or Greblon contain PFOA or PTFE.

100% CERAMIC

If you would like to go with non-stick cookware, choose a “100% ceramic” products instead of a ceramic “coating” products.

Xtrema uses “a unique ceramic clay formula that is 100% natural.” Xtrema cookware products are also said to be free of lead, cadmium and toxic heavy metals, PFOA and PTFE-free, non-scratch, nontoxic, and non-metal.

You can now safe 10% in all of their products using promo code SaveX10.

3. Cleaning Products

Coming in at number three in harmful things we use daily are cleaning products.

You just arrived from soccer practice and you rush to wash the stinky uniform before it infests the entire house.

But as you are pouring it in your washer…. Are you aware of what you are inhaling? More so, do you know what is doing to those who wear those clothes afterwards?

One of the most common household products associated with harmful toxins and potential health issues is laundry detergent. (Source)

Not only can you come in contact with toxic chemicals via your clothing, but you can breathe them into your lungs once they become airborne in the process of doing your laundry.

Popular brand detergents come with a big list of hazardous chemicals, some of which the manufacturer doesn’t even have to list on the label. That makes it even harder for the general public to ever discover what’s in there.

That was just an example of every other category of cleaning products.

Just like laundry detergents, most popular brands of dish soaps, disinfectant sprays, bathroom cleaners (to mention a few), are made with toxic chemicals that could be putting the entire family in danger.

It is extremely important for the health of our entire family that we learn to buy all-natural cleaning products with the best safety ratings and non-toxic ingredients.

Recent studies of over 2,000 cleaning products in the American market today found that many contain substances linked to serious health problems.

The American Lung Association claims that many cleaning supplies or household products can irritate the eyes or throat, or cause headaches and other health problems, including cancer.

HEALTHIER AND SAFER ALTERNATIVES

I must admit, the search for natural cleaning products can be overwhelming. After all, there are thousands of products to choose from.

And what’s worse, even if we wanted to look in-store for the ingredients of the cleaning product of our choice, chances are we wouldn’t find them.

Did you know that U.S. law allows manufacturers of cleaning products to use almost any ingredient they wish, including known carcinogens and toxic substances?

Yup, that happens. All the time. Right under of our noses.

Neither does the government review the safety of products before they’re sold. That it is why it is so important to be informed and know what products are safe to purchase and use for the entire family.

CRIB MATTRESSES

Unfortunately, much like regular adult mattresses, most baby crib mattresses in today’s market also emit large amounts of VOCs, have toxic flame-retardant chemicals, fragrance chemicals, and use PVC or vinyl covers.

Studies found that, “infants spend most of their time sleeping and are likely to be exposed to elevated concentrations of chemicals released from their crib mattresses… The results suggest that crib mattresses are an important source of VOCs and infant exposure to VOCs are possibly elevated in their sleep microenvironments.” (source)

Organic crib mattresses are the safest option as they are free of harmful chemicals and materials.

As a first option, look for the GOTS certification when choosing a crib mattress.

REFERENCES:

5. Makeup

It might come as a complete surprise to you that personal care and beauty products are one of the least regulated industries in the U.S.

We assume that the government is overseeing what type of ingredients go into our beauty products and ensuring they are safe for us to use.

Well, we assumed wrong!

Truth is, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) “oversees” the cosmetics industry but lacks the power to approve products or ingredients before they are sold, even though their contents have been shown to enter the body.

What’s more, it has been more than 80 years since Congress last updated the federal law designed to ensure that personal care products are safe.

Some of the harmful toxins found in most cosmetics sold in today’s American market include (source):

BHA and BHT

Coal tar dyes

DEA-related ingredients

Dibutyl phthalate

Formaldehyde-releasing preservatives

Parabens

Parfum (a.k.a. fragrance)

PEG compounds

Petrolatum

Siloxanes

Sodium laureth sulfate

Triclosan

You can find detailed information on each of these ingredients and the health concerns, here.

I know this information can feel overwhelming and scary.

But it is our reality and we must find proactive ways to be informed and to what we are buying, putting on our bodies, and exposing our family to.

HEALTHIER AND SAFER ALTERNATIVES

Once more, EWG comes through as one of the ground braking organizations that is determined fight this issue (and many others).

They also created the Skin Deep Database which allows us search amongst thousands of cosmetic and personal products and brands for the least hazardous products in the market.

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My name is Nataly. I am a child of God, a wife to an amazing man, the mom of two beautiful children, a registered nurse, an author, and the blogger behind Lovely Momhood and Love and Paper flowers... Read More…

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About the Author

Hi there,
Welcome to Lovely Momhood!
My name is Nataly. I am a child of God, a wife to an amazing man, the mom of two beautiful children, a registered nurse, an author, and the blogger behind Lovely Momhood and Love and Paper flowers.... Read More…